In which month of the year does the grafting survival rate of pepper trees reach a high level (how to achieve a high grafting survival rate)

The main method of planting pepper is to raise seedlings, transplant and plant . However, if you want to improve the original variety or rejuvenate the weak and declining pepper trees to increase the yield, improve the quality or enhance the stress resistance of pepper during planting, most of them are done through grafting .

In addition, in the process of pepper cultivation, naturally cultivated pepper trees generally take four or five years to bear fruit , while grafted pepper trees can achieve the goal of early fruiting within 2-3 years .

The grafting survival rate of Sichuan pepper is not very high, but as long as you master the relevant methods, the grafting success rate will be greatly improved. Here I will introduce the grafting management of Sichuan pepper.

1. Grafting at the right time

The best time to graft pepper is in spring or autumn . Spring is the best time. At this time, the temperature rises, the soil moisture and air humidity are suitable for the healing of grafting wounds and the germination of new branches, which is very beneficial for survival.

Normally, pepper grafting is usually done in spring when the sap of the tree flows (branch grafting) or in autumn (bud grafting). From the perspective of regional differences between the north and the south, it is generally done in March-April in spring and August-September in autumn in the north, and in early March and early June in the south.

Therefore, the advantage of spring grafting is that both the spike and the rootstock are in the vigorous growth period, the wound heals quickly after grafting, and the survival rate is high . The advantage of autumn grafting is that the branches are well mature and easy to peel off the cortex .

2. What types of rootstocks can be used for pepper grafting?

As with other types of fruit trees, the better the affinity of the rootstock used for grafting (just like human blood relationships), the higher the survival rate after grafting.

In terms of the overall selection principle, the best rootstock varieties are those with strong growth, well-developed root system, early fruiting period, high yield, good fruit quality, strong resistance to cold, drought and disease, high fruit yield after grafting and easy management.

For example, several varieties such as wild pepper, wolf pepper, stinky pepper, and hericium pepper are the most commonly used rootstock varieties for pepper grafting and have relatively good performance .

In addition, the rootstock can also be cultivated in advance by yourself. You can collect seeds when the pepper matures in August or September of the same year. Then spread them out to dry naturally and wait until mid-to-early November to sow them. When the seedlings grow to a diameter of more than 0.5 cm, they can be used for grafting.

3. How to select, collect and store scion for pepper grafting?

Good quality scions are more likely to survive after grafting. When choosing scions, you should choose one-year-old healthy new branches with full development in the middle and upper parts of the crown, full buds, and no diseases or insect pests. The thickness of the scion branches should be about 0.5 cm.

The scion can be collected during the winter pruning of pepper, but the quality is best when collected around the Waking of Insects.

If the collection time is relatively early, the collected scions should be removed from the thorns and leaves and then packed into bundles.

Then, we bury it in wet sand in a shaded place or wrap it in a wet rag and store it in a ventilated and cool room. Of course, you can also dig a cellar to store it. I personally recommend that the scion be used as soon as it is picked.

4. What are the common methods for grafting pepper? How to do it?

Generally speaking, there are three main methods of grafting Sichuan pepper: branch grafting , bud grafting , and belly grafting .

If we want to break it down, it can be divided into cleft grafting, tongue grafting, bark grafting, subcutaneous belly grafting, belly cut grafting, tender shoot grafting, "T"-shaped bud grafting, "I"-shaped bud grafting, square-shaped bud grafting, buried bud grafting and so on.

Because there are many methods for grafting Sichuan pepper, here I will only introduce to you a single bud branch belly grafting method which is relatively simple to operate, has a relatively high survival rate and is frequently used.

Four-step operation method for single bud grafting:

Step 1 : Around the time of the Spring Waking of Insects, remove all leaves within 10 cm from the ground of the selected rootstock, starting from the base about 6 cm from the ground.

Choose a suitable location with a smooth branch surface, then cut a flat cut from top to bottom, 2-3 cm long, deep to the wood, leaving about 0.5 cm of the bark layer in the lower half, and then cut off the outer bark in the upper half;

Step 2 : Cut off the side of the graft at a 45-degree angle, then cut a long cut surface about 2 cm long on the back, and then cut off about 0.5 cm above the graft, and remove the graft;

Step 3 : Quickly insert the removed bud into the cut on the rootstock, and gently move the bud surface so that the bud surface and the rootstock cut are completely in place and the cambium is completely aligned.

Step 4 : Wrap the grafting point tightly with plastic film or other materials and tie it tightly.

After the above four steps, the single bud abdominal grafting of Sichuan pepper is successful!

5. What are the management considerations after pepper grafting?

1. Check whether the grafting has survived 10-15 days after grafting. Break the membrane and expose the buds after the grafted seedlings develop 25-30 days after grafting . Then thin out the sprouts growing on the rootstock (new leaves and sprouts growing on the rootstock) to prevent the sprouts from competing with new branches for nutrients and affecting normal growth.

2. When the new branches grow to about 50 cm, top and pinch the branches to make them thicker and promote side branches.

3. When the new shoots of the grafted seedlings grow to 20-30 cm long, they should be tied up and protected in time to prevent them from being blown off by strong winds.

4. After that, water appropriately according to the growth to keep the soil moist, and apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer to promote growth. During this period, weeding, soil cultivation and soil loosening should also be carried out.

5. Wait until around August and spray with about 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote the rapid aging and lignification of the new branches of the grafted seedlings, so as to prevent the plants from being killed by frost during the winter.